HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019594.jpg
1.62 MB
Extraction Summary
5
People
6
Organizations
10
Locations
3
Events
2
Relationships
3
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Book page / congressional record
File Size:
1.62 MB
Summary
This document appears to be page 106 from the book 'How America Lost Its Secrets' by Edward Jay Epstein (indicated by the file name 'Epst'), stamped as evidence for the House Oversight Committee. It details Edward Snowden's time in Hong Kong, asserting he did not contact the governments of Iceland or Ecuador directly, and argues that logistical constraints meant he could only safely fly to China, North Korea, or Russia to avoid US extradition. The text highlights that Snowden's only confirmed contact was with Russia, citing a statement by Vladimir Putin describing Snowden as an 'agent of special services.'
People (5)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Snowden | Subject |
Former contractor fugitive in Hong Kong seeking asylum/travel
|
| Sarah Harrison | Associate |
Laying down false tracks for Snowden in Hong Kong
|
| Julian Assange | WikiLeaks Founder |
In London, asked Narváez to issue a travel document
|
| Fidel Narváez | Legal Attaché |
Attaché in the London embassy of Ecuador, friend of Assange
|
| Vladimir Putin | President of Russia |
Revealed contacts with Snowden in a press briefing
|
Organizations (6)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Consulate of Iceland |
Mentioned regarding lack of contact from Snowden
|
|
| Government of Ecuador |
Discussed as potential asylum destination
|
|
| Vanity Fair |
Media outlet that interviewed an Iceland official
|
|
| London Embassy of Ecuador |
Where Narváez worked
|
|
| Cuban Consulate |
Where Snowden could have obtained travel documents but didn't
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by Bates stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'
|
Timeline (3 events)
Mid-June 2013
Locations (10)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Location of Snowden during the described events
|
|
|
Potential destination
|
|
|
Location of Assange and Narváez
|
|
|
Potential destination
|
|
|
Country seeking extradition
|
|
|
Necessary transit point for flight to Ecuador
|
|
|
Region mentioned
|
|
|
One of three countries reachable without US ally stopovers
|
|
|
One of three countries reachable without US ally stopovers
|
|
|
The country Snowden contacted; intended destination
|
Relationships (2)
Text states Narváez 'was a friend of his'
Harrison was laying down false tracks for Snowden
Key Quotes (3)
"We had heard nothing from Snowden"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019594.jpg
Quote #1
"agent of special services"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019594.jpg
Quote #2
"Whatever foreign government with which Snowden was dealing earlier presumably did not have an extradition treaty with the United States."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019594.jpg
Quote #3
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,398 characters)
106 | HOW AMERICA LOST ITS SECRETS
tacted the consulate of Iceland while he was in Hong Kong. "We had
heard nothing from Snowden," an Iceland government official told
Vanity Fair.
heard nothing from Snowden," an Iceland government official told
Vanity Fair.
Snowden also did not contact the government of Ecuador while
in Hong Kong. In mid-June, while Harrison was laying down false
tracks for Snowden in Hong Kong, Assange in London asked Fidel
Narváez, who was a friend of his and the legal attaché in the Lon-
don embassy of Ecuador, to issue a document that Snowden could
use. But this document was not delivered to Snowden in Hong Kong
(and it was later invalidated by Ecuador). There are no direct flights
to Ecuador from Hong Kong. If Snowden had really planned to go to
Ecuador without stopping in a country allied with the United States,
he would have had to fly to Cuba. He would need a Cuban travel
document to do that, which he could have obtained from the Cuban
consulate anytime during his month in Hong Kong. But he did not
obtain it. Nor did he acquire a visa to go to any other country in
Latin America or elsewhere while in Hong Kong. So where was he
headed?
in Hong Kong. In mid-June, while Harrison was laying down false
tracks for Snowden in Hong Kong, Assange in London asked Fidel
Narváez, who was a friend of his and the legal attaché in the Lon-
don embassy of Ecuador, to issue a document that Snowden could
use. But this document was not delivered to Snowden in Hong Kong
(and it was later invalidated by Ecuador). There are no direct flights
to Ecuador from Hong Kong. If Snowden had really planned to go to
Ecuador without stopping in a country allied with the United States,
he would have had to fly to Cuba. He would need a Cuban travel
document to do that, which he could have obtained from the Cuban
consulate anytime during his month in Hong Kong. But he did not
obtain it. Nor did he acquire a visa to go to any other country in
Latin America or elsewhere while in Hong Kong. So where was he
headed?
Whatever foreign government with which Snowden was deal-
ing earlier presumably did not have an extradition treaty with the
United States. Almost all other countries that did not have active
extradition treaties with the United States could not be directly
reached by air. With three notable exceptions, the flights to most of
these countries had stopovers in a country that was an ally of the
United States, where officials could seize Snowden. The three excep-
tions were China, North Korea (via China), and Russia.
ing earlier presumably did not have an extradition treaty with the
United States. Almost all other countries that did not have active
extradition treaties with the United States could not be directly
reached by air. With three notable exceptions, the flights to most of
these countries had stopovers in a country that was an ally of the
United States, where officials could seize Snowden. The three excep-
tions were China, North Korea (via China), and Russia.
The only one of these three countries that Snowden is known
to have had contact with directly during his thirty-three-day stay
in Hong Kong was Russia. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin,
revealed these contacts in a televised press briefing in September
2013. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts, but he pro-
vided an intriguing clue. Snowden was identified to him, according
to Putin, not by name but merely as an "agent of special services."
If his name was not given to Putin, it might have been because
Snowden's first meeting with the Russians had taken place before
Snowden became a household name on June 9, 2013.
to have had contact with directly during his thirty-three-day stay
in Hong Kong was Russia. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin,
revealed these contacts in a televised press briefing in September
2013. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts, but he pro-
vided an intriguing clue. Snowden was identified to him, according
to Putin, not by name but merely as an "agent of special services."
If his name was not given to Putin, it might have been because
Snowden's first meeting with the Russians had taken place before
Snowden became a household name on June 9, 2013.
For his part, Snowden was evasive when discussing his con-
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9/29/16 5:51 PM
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9/29/16 5:51 PM
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